Common mistakes
Irrelevant or irreverent: different meanings and tones
Sign in to saveDuring a meeting, a question about last year's office party may be irrelevant to a safety report. A joke about the report's solemn introduction may be irreverent. The words look related, but they point to different problems.
Choose irrelevant for something unrelated to the subject and irreverent for speech or behavior that shows little respect for a serious person, belief, or custom.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
irrelevant / irreverent /ɪˈreləvənt/ /ɪˈrevərənt/
The short answer
Use irrelevant when information does not belong in the current discussion. Use irreverent when a remark, style, or person shows too little respect for something serious or respected.
The chair asked the speaker to leave out irrelevant details, but she laughed at his irreverent imitation of the old ceremony.
Why it works: The details do not relate to the subject. The imitation is about the tone used toward a ceremony.
3 more examples
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The judge stopped the lawyer from asking irrelevant questions about the witness's childhood.
The questions do not help decide the issue before the court.
Not this:The judge allowed
relevant questionsabout what the witness saw that evening. What changes: Relevant questions connect directly to the matter being examined. -
Her irreverent cartoon of the royal portrait made some visitors laugh and others feel uncomfortable.
The cartoon treats a respected symbol in a deliberately unserious way.
Not this:Her
respectful portraitof the royal figure was displayed in the town hall. What changes: Respectful describes a tone that honors its subject rather than making light of it. -
The manager said that comments about parking were irrelevant to the budget decision.
Parking may matter in another conversation, but it does not affect this decision.
Not this:The manager said that the repair estimate was
relevant to the budget decision. What changes: The estimate has a direct connection to the decision, so it belongs in the discussion.
Read the full guide
Ask two separate questions. Does this information connect to the topic? If not, it is irrelevant. Does this behavior make light of something people expect to be treated seriously? If so, it may be irreverent.
Use irrelevant for the wrong subject
Something is irrelevant when it has no useful connection to the question, task, or decision in front of you. It may be a fact, a comment, an example, or a question. The word does not mean false.
The applicant's favorite sport is irrelevant to whether she can do the accounting job.
The sport may be interesting, but it does not help an interviewer assess the job skill named in the sentence.
Use irreverent for a tone without respect
Irreverent describes the way someone speaks, writes, performs, or behaves toward a subject that usually receives respect. It is common with joke, humor, comment, film, and style.
The comedian's irreverent remarks about the formal award ceremony surprised the audience.
The remarks are connected to the ceremony. Their problem, if there is one, is their playful or dismissive treatment of it.
Remember the base words
Relevant comes from the idea of a connection to a matter. Reverent comes from the idea of respect. The shared beginning ir- means not, but the words after it lead to different meanings.
Irrelevant information does not belong to the topic. Irreverent humor belongs to the topic but treats it with little respect.
Choose a more exact word when needed
Do not use irreverent for every impolite remark. A comment can be rude, cruel, or disrespectful without referring to a respected tradition or serious subject. Do not use irrelevant when you mean unimportant; an issue can be important but unrelated to this particular question.
The emergency was important, but it was irrelevant to the reason the computer would not start.
Make the choice from the problem
A student includes three paragraphs about a celebrity in an essay about local water quality. Which word describes those paragraphs?
Use irrelevant. The paragraphs may be well written, but they do not connect to local water quality. Use irreverent only if the writing mocks or treats a respected subject too casually.
Before you go
Remember this
Irrelevant means unrelated to the topic or purpose. Irreverent means lacking the respect expected for a serious or respected subject. Remember the base words: relevant is about connection, while reverent is about respect.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Irrelevant or irreverent: different meanings and tones"
What is the difference between irrelevant and irreverent?
Irrelevant means not related to the topic, purpose, or decision. Irreverent means showing less respect than people expect for a serious or respected subject.
The judge stopped the lawyer from asking irrelevant questions about the witness's childhood.
Can information be important but irrelevant?
Yes. A fact can matter in general but still have no connection to the question being discussed. For example, a repair estimate can be relevant to a budget while another important issue is irrelevant to that decision.
The judge allowed relevant questions about what the witness saw that evening.
Does irreverent always mean rude?
No. Irreverent often describes playful or challenging humor about a serious tradition or respected subject. It can offend people, but it is more specific than simply rude or impolite.
Her irreverent cartoon of the royal portrait made some visitors laugh and others feel uncomfortable.
How do I use irrelevant in a sentence?
Use irrelevant for a fact, question, detail, or comment that does not belong in the current discussion. You can say that a question is irrelevant to a case or that a detail is irrelevant to an article.
Her respectful portrait of the royal figure was displayed in the town hall.
How do I remember irrelevant and irreverent?
Link relevant with connection to a topic, and reverent with respect. Then irrelevant means not connected, while irreverent means not showing the expected respect.
The manager said that comments about parking were irrelevant to the budget decision.